"If and when the dangerous
spectre of
direct action returns, as it inevitably will if things continue as they
are, we should be obliged if responsibility is not laid at the door of
the nationalist movement, but rather at the door of a government that
failed
to heed the signs."

That statement was made by Mec
Vannin Chairman
Bernard Moffatt in March 1989, following the trial of members of the
F.S.F.O.
organisation. Moffatt was responding to statements by the F.S.F.O.
members
that the actions were, in part, prompted by the absence of an effective
political outlet. Mec Vannin, they declared, had become defunct.

Mec Vannin, which was still in
business,
didn't like the criticism, but did accept the implications: Since those
days, we have debated vigorously the question of increased finance
industry
activity and have publicised our opposition.

The Government, it seems does not
like
political opposition. We feel that it would like its alternative even
less.
When Mec Vannin fails to articulate a view; when it fails to stand up
for
Manx values of culture, decency and respect for individual rights, the
Manx administration, of whatever ilk, will face serious problems!

Fact: We are entering a
very bleak
period. The Government's own 1991 Policy Report clearly revealed that
the
Island stood on the brink of a recession as least as bad, and quite
possibly
worse than that of the early eighties. That recession was so bad
because
the governments of the 1970s had created an artificial economy: a house
built on sand. Our economy could now be likened to a skyscraper built
on
sand. The U.K.'s recession has not yet bottomed out, and it will take
ours
another two years to reach the same point.

Fact: Population increase
has made
our position worse. The massive increase in population has led to the
need
for massive capital spending projects. Despite the presence of the
finance
industry, there is no longer enough money to pay for them.

Fact: The "boom" caused
hardship
for many Manx people. Far from improving opportunities and living
standards
for local people, the nature of employment opportunities, lack of
training
requirements and virtual abandonment of work permit regulations left
most
Manx people without a fair chance of gaining better paid employment.
The
massive surge in housing costs, both to buy and to rent, left many
virtually
homeless. The result was the rash of "First-time Buyer's" housing,
epitomised
by the shameful Ballavargher development.

Fact: The poor of the
Island have
become poorer, and the rich have become richer. This is proven by
Government
statistics.The October 1990 Earnings Survey
claimed
an average weekly wage of £239. The chart clearly shows, however,
that the most common wage was £166 per week including overtime
and
before deductions. One quarter of the population earned less than this.
By June 1992, the average had risen to £276 (15.4% on 1990),
whilst
the most common wage had risen to £175 (5.4% on 1990), and a
quarter
of full-time workers continued to earn less than this figure. The
richest
ten percent have moved from earning more than £375 to £453
(20.8%). Inflation over this period is 9.5%, which means that those
earning
the common wage or less are 3.7% poorer in real terms, whereas those on
the "average" figure are 5.5% better off, and the top 10% are 10.3%
better
off in real terms.

The
Downward
Spiral

A reason often used in defence of
rapid
economic growth is that the extra cash is needed to pay for essential
services
and infrastructure improvement.

How often do we hear, "The Health
Service
is overburdened," ..."Schools need to be expanded or rebuilt ...."Roads
have become seriously congested" ......." Sewers cannot cope with the
extra
volume,"..."A new courthouse is needed to deal with the rising crime
rate,"...All
this and more, as a result of rapid increase in population, all of
which
require more cash. From here on it becomes a downhill spiral. To
improve
all these services requires cash; more people are needed to generate
the
extra cash; more people means expansion of services; more cash is
needed
etc. ad nausea, and so the dog keeps chasing its own tail. Surely, if
we
don't have enough cash now after the recent and massive rise in
population,
we will never have enough by pursuing the present "Cash solves all"
policies.

Finance
Sector Fetes Orient

After four years of finance
sector oriented
boom, Mr. Walker promised a diversification of industry. In Hong Kong,
the primary objective is banking and insurance. At home in the Isle of
Mann, manufacturing industry is contracting daily. Agriculture, fishing
and tourism are also in possibly terminal recession. The stark reality
of a successful Hong Kong business campaign, and the inability of our
Government
to recognise it, is summed up in comments in a report by the "Manx
Independent's
Peter Harrison:

"As I look down from my window,
the billionaires
rub shoulders with some of the poorest people in Asia.""A hundred yards away, lager is
being
dispensed at US$14 per pint.""...billionaires rub shoulders
with
some of the poorest people in Asia.""We look down on Hong Kong and
visualise
Douglas 2000. Millions of twinkling lights - every one worth at least
US$10
- was evidence of the fabulous wealth that surrounds us." "...billionaires rub shoulders
with
some of the poorest people in Asia.""...I can see the Pacific Princess
discharging
one thousand American tourists, each one of which will spend US$1000..""...billionaires rub shoulders
with
some of the poorest people in Asia.""Maybe one day the Bank of China
will
open a branch in downtown Douglas."

AND BILLIONAIRES WILL RUB
SHOULDERS
WITH SOME OF THE POOREST PEOPLE IN EUROPE.